Car Review: 2012 Mazdaspeed3

By Graeme Fletcher, Postmedia News

Originally published: May 31, 2012

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Way back when the Earth was still cooling, I was the proud owner of a Mini. It was a dog of a thing that, when I purchased it, boasted a grand total of 39 horsepower and 52 pound-feet of torque. As such, it took just about 20 seconds to meander its way to 100 kilometres an hour. Regardless, I loved it and the freedom it represented. In many respects, the current Mazda3 reminds me of it — it was an absolute hoot to drive, managing to transform the mundane into something to relish.

Shortly after acquiring said Mini, I scored a 1,071-cubic-centimetre Mini Cooper S engine. I promptly took it to a small machine shop that specialized in blueprinting engines. After re-boring the block and balancing crank and pistons, shaving and porting the head, installing a hotter camshaft and ditching the SU carburetors in favour of a Weber, the engine was pushing almost 90 hp. Now, this put some real zest under the Mini’s hood — enough that it shaved the run to 100 km/h to 10.3 seconds, which was as fast, or faster, than the Mini Cooper S at the time.

So, why the preamble about a car that has long since rusted its way into oblivion? In a nutshell, my time with the Mazdaspeed3 reacquainted me with how much fun a hopped-up car can be and why I still have such fond memories of that tweaked Mini. My buggy wore the stock 10-inch wheels — although the rubber was a lot larger — black paint and a white roof. It was a sleeper that managed to slip by the local constabulary without causing them to give it a second look. The Mazdaspeed3 managed to accomplish the same — well, almost — I was not going that fast, honestly, officer.

The Mazdaspeed3 does have the smiley-faced grille (sadly), a hood scoop, a bigger rear spoiler, a body kit and twin tailpipes that bark at the appropriate moments, but, when all is said and done, the look is not a stand-out-like-a-sore-thumb kind of thing. That, however, is where the sleeper approach ends.

Pop the Mazdaspeed3’s hood and there sits a monster air-to-air intercooler that utilizes the air that tumbles down through the scoop to cool the turbocharged intake air. This and the use of a direct-injected 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine transform the performance from the Mazda3 Sport’s enthusiastic to something that verges on insanity. You see, the Mazdaspeed3 is laying down no less than 263 hp and a wicked — given the Speed’s 1,500-kilogram curb weight — 280 lb-ft of torque at just 3,000 rpm.

All of this power is relayed to the road through a close-ratio six-speed manual box. While the gate is every bit as tight and refined as the base car’s, the clutch is significantly heavier because of the power it must transmit between the engine and gearbox. In stop-and-go traffic, this means a significant workout. That, however, matters not a whit.

Nail the gas from a standstill and the launch can be a little unpredictable because of the torque steer that surfaces. This led me to a slightly different approach — pull away reasonably gently in first gear, short shift to second and then give the throttle a good goosing. This methodology brought a rest-to-100-kilometres-an-hour blast of 5.9 seconds and an 80-to-120-km/h passing time of 4.2 seconds in third gear. Both are very quick, especially considering the price of entry resides below $30,000. There is not much at this price and precious little before hitting the stratospheric price level that can stay with the Mazdaspeed3 — and this in a car that still brings the versatility and capacity of its mortal sibling.

The Speed’s handling also takes a serious turn for the better. The sport-tuned suspension keeps things hunkered down without feeling overly taut, the steering is appreciably sharper thanks to the oversized P225/40R18 tires and the upsized brakes provide plenty of leeway before beginning to show the effects of heat and fade. It really does handle remarkably well for a front-driver that is, in all honestly, verging on overpowered.

Inside, the design will be very familiar to anyone that’s driven the Mazda3 Sport. The addition of a snazzy red fleck to the cloth/black sport bucket seats (the same fleck is also picked up in the trim accents and door panels), an advanced gauge cluster and boy-racer pedals (the lone concession to gaudy) are the key upgrades. The only other giveaway, the one that speaks to the Mazdaspeed’s potential, is the boost gauge that’s nestled between the tachometer and speedometer.

As for content, the Speed3 comes loaded. It is a nice package that really does not require upgrading to the Technology package. I liked the convenience of the smart key/pushbutton start and blind spot monitoring, but, frankly, the rest of the package proved to be superfluous to need.

So, there you have it, one seriously delightful car. Certainly, my old Mini could not hold a candle to the Mazdaspeed3 and the manner in which the power comes on line, but what a retro trip! I liked the Mazda3 Sport enormously — especially its overall efficiency — but I love the Speed3.